Metal detector enthusiast finds Viking treasure

A metal detector enthusiast said to be blessed with a “magic touch” has unearthed a hoard of Viking treasure in south west Scotland.

The discovery, thought to be one of the most significant Viking finds in modern history, was made by Derek McLennan, 47, last month after more than a year of painstaking searching with his metal detector, The Times reports.

Among the treasures unearthed is an early Christian cross, thought to date back to the ninth or tenth century, and a large silver Carolingian pot that could be up to 1200 years old.

The pot is yet to be opened and it is hoped it contains artifacts to show where it came from.

Mr McLennan told the Times he was speechless when he made the discovery and was so emotional that when he called his wife she thought that he had been in a car accident.

The amateur historian’s metal detector has helped him hit other jackpots in recent times, including more than 300 medieval silver coins he and a team discovered shortly before Christmas last year.